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The 2016 Chevy Volt is here, and it is killing the conventional car

The Volt is one of the latest examples of a hybrid with broader appeal, and it may help end the sale of conventional cars sooner than yout hink.

As we reported recently, Chevrolet has unveiled its latest offering in the hybrid market: the 2016 Chevy Volt, a second generation version of the popular hybrid offering first unveiled in 2007, and its arrival could help herald the end of the conventional car.

The 2016 Chevy Volt, still not quite hitting the market yet, is already turning heads for its attempt to break out beyond its hybrid fanboys niche and appeal to the broader market. The vehicle looks like a grown up car than the stereotypical hybrid, notes a reviewer in a SlashGear report. And there are certainly quite a few more hybrid options available today than even five years ago.

All of this indicates a growing shift away from conventional cars, and new offerings like the Volt could spell the end of gas and diesel powered cars for good, and sooner than you think.

A recent report from Toyota, also very active in the hybrid market, foresees that there will be a massive market shift through the year 2050 that will almost entirely eliminate the conventional automobile, as reported by HybridCars.com.

That shift is already happening. While conventional cars still make up the vast majority of Toyota’s global sales, it has dwindled down to 86 percent, while hybrids and plug-in vehicles have surged to 14 percent.

The reality is that environmental concerns are rising, and people are starting to favor a car that is more environmentally friendly over a gas guzzler. Even cars that are relatively fuel efficient still don’t get the mileage of a hybrid on their gas, so there’s also the cost factor — as hybrids become more cost competitive, people have less reason to prefer a fully gas powered car.